MALARIA PERDHAKI, Jayapura – Sub Recipient (SR) of Perdhaki in the Jayapura Diocese Region 1 held training on community mobilization communication strategies as part of Perdhaki’s malaria program in Jayapura City/Regency and Keerom Regency.

The Chairperson of Sub Recipient (SR) Perdhaki in the Jayapura Diocese Region 1, Erhardus Desa, explained that this training will take place over five days, from Monday, September 10, 2024, to Friday, September 14, 2024, at a hotel in Jayapura City, Papua.

He said that Perdhaki is one of the church’s service units working in the health sector, collaborating with the government, and receiving assistance from the Global Fund.

“We carry out services for malaria elimination in Papua, especially in the Jayapura Diocese, Papua Province,” said Erhardus on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

He continued, this activity is for Keerom Regency, which consists of 9 villages, while Jayapura City consists of 5 villages.

He further explained, “The purpose of this activity is to enhance communication strategy skills aimed at increasing the capacity of key figures in advocacy, policy analysis, facilitation techniques, and community mobilization.”

More specifically, this training will enable them to work effectively within complex and dynamic contexts to improve the quality of life in the community and to achieve sustainable development goals.

Infectious diseases that remain a significant health problem in Indonesia today, such as malaria, continue to be prevalent in certain regions and constitute one of the critical health issues in Eastern Indonesia.

Despite various efforts to combat malaria, the prevalence of malaria in Eastern Indonesia remains high.

Moreover, limited access to healthcare services is one of the key challenges hindering malaria control efforts in the region.

“Especially for our communities living in remote and hard-to-reach areas, access to diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring remains the primary obstacle,” he said. Additionally, he noted that limited health facilities—such as the shortage of medicines and diagnostic tools, as well as the scarcity of healthcare workers—further hinder efforts to control and eliminate malaria.

“We hope that each key figure also possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to influence policy, facilitate community participation, and promote positive social change,” he said. By involving these key figures, the support for accelerating malaria elimination movements at the village and district levels becomes more intensive. Furthermore, Erhardus added, the involvement of key figures is also expected to ensure the sustainability of the programs designed from now on. “They must have the capacity to advocate for community interests, analyze relevant policies, facilitate active community participation, and drive positive social change,” he emphasized.

This article has been published on Tribun-Papua.com with the title Perdhaki Keuskupan Jayapura Gelar Pelatihan Eliminasi Malaria, https://papua.tribunnews.com/2024/09/11/perdhaki-keuskupan-jayapura-gelar-pelatihan-eliminasi-malaria.
Author: Amatus Hubby | Editor: Lidya Salmah